Thinking of You
by Periwinkle Starfish
Summary: Even though Harry is gone, Rita will always be thinking of him. This is Rita and Harry's story before the tragedy.
1. Chapter 1

Hiya! I have another Mako Mermaids story for you all. However, this one is all about our favorite mermaid principal Rita! This story will describe her early years on land, with a special twist in later chapters. This is rated T to be safe, and enjoy! Also, let me introduce the characters:

**Rita**- She's a bit more carefree, and she's 16 when the story starts.

**Shelby**- She's an OC who's 18 and Rita's best friend, and she'll be Rita's mentor on land (she also has gotten legs) Also, she is Aquata's mother.

**Aquata**- She's Shelby's 2 year old daughter, but doesn't have a major role.

**Leah**- Leah is the leader of the pod, and is quite strict according to Rita.

**Harry**- A 16 year old student at Suncoast High that Rita meets and falls in love with (Rita explained this in the beginning of season one)

Here we go! Enjoy :)

It was a glorious summer's day in the Gold Coast of Australia. All of the teens were out surfing, or enjoying the sun's tanning rays. Everyone avoided Mako Island as always, but the pod of mermaids that lived there were happy to have such a marvelous place to themselves. The Mako pod spent their summer days swimming out in the deep blue, telling stories, or singing beautiful songs. The teenaged mermaids were being trained at their mermaid school (which was held in the a lagoon by the shores of Mako) to master their powers, and earn their moon rings. Every class always has someone who aces everything, and knows each answer to every single question. That person (more like mermaid) was none other than Rita. She had become so determined to earn her moon ring, and aced each lesson with an impressive control on her powers.

"Well done, Rita." The instructor of the day's lesson praised her best student, "by the looks of it, you'll be getting your moon ring early!"

"That's her plan!" Smiled Shelby, Rita's best friend. Shelby was two years older than Rita, and had light brown hair and blue eyes. She was also a teen mother to her lovely daughter, Aquata

"Oh please, I don't need you bragging about me, that's my job!" Rita nudged her friend.

"Alright students, class is out! Have a nice day!" The instructor dismissed her students. Rita and Shelby were about to leave when their teacher stopped them.

"Rita, I have good news! I've told the mermaid councel about your improvement, and they've talked it over with the pod leader."

"What are you saying?" Rita knew the pod leader was strict, and she though for a moment that she was in trouble.

"I'm saying that you've earned your moon ring." The leader of the pod, Leah, intervened holding the dazzling ring Rita had always dreamed about.

"What? You're serious? That's amazing! Thank you!" Overwhelmed with shock, Rita put on her moon ring, gazing into the deep aquamarine hue of the stone, "so I don't have classes anymore?"

"You're all set, kiddo. You've proved that you're ready." Leah smiled at the adolescent mermaid.

"What are you waiting for? Let's go celebrate!" Shelby happily suggested. The two mermaids swam off to the beach.

~Later~

"Why'd you take me here? We can't go on land!" Rita practically scolded her friend.

"I can!" Shelby proudly announced. Rita's eyed widened at the news.

"What! That's against all mermaid laws! This is an outrage! Do you know what would happen of you got caught? You'd be banished!"

"Oh Rita, you're so cute when you're mad." Shelby giggled as Rita continued blabbering about more mermaid laws. Shelby dragged herself out of water, and used her heating power to dry herself off. Rita cautiously watched her friend's tail change to a pair of legs.

"I'll be back, I'm going to get you a surprise!" Shelby casually strutted into a nearby establishment called the "Ocean Cafe" Rita watched Shelby's feet, and how it would feel strange to walk. It was a foreign subject that was never covered in mermaid school, and Rita was dying to know more about walking. Soon enough, Shelby returned with two chocolate milkshakes.

"What in the name of Neptune is THAT?" Rita pointed to the strange drink Shelby bought for her.

"It's a chocolate milkshake. It's the most amazing thing in the world, and you have to try it!" Shelby replied to Rita, already sipping on hers. Rita took the frosty beverage from Shelby, and examined it. Maybe it wouldn't be bad. She tried some of it, and was amazed at the sweet flavor of held.

"Wow, this is amazing!" Rita exclaimed. She then eyed the cafe Shelby went into, "was it hard walking over there?"

"No, you just mimic what the land people do." Shelby explained, "let's take that guy for example. See how he's casually walking on the sidewalk?" Shelby pointed to a young man who happened to be walking nearby. However, Rita's attention to Shelby's explaining was all lost. Rita had taken notice to the young man, and he was absolutely handsome! He had Sandy blonde hair, and dazzling blue eyes. Rita couldn't stop staring at him. She felt a brand new feeling. It spiralled through her heart, and her head. Could it have been love?

"Rita!" Shelby spoke up, "are you paying attention?"

"What? Um, yes! Sorry, I was just..." Rita couldn't finish her sentence, or keep her eyes off of the land boy.

"Oh, I see..." Shelby put a smile on her face as she witnessed her friend staring at the land boy, "you think he's cute, huh?"

"What? No!" Rita denied, "...ok, he's sort of cute..." Rita then mentally scolded herself for admitting that. The land boy mentioned walked into the cafe, and disappeared behind the glass doors.

"Where'd he go?" Rita searched the area around the cafe with her eyes.

"Into the cafe. It's the land people's feeding time." Shelby explained, finishing off her milkshake.

"No! I have to see him again!" Rita exclaimed.

"Honey, you're a mermaid, and he's a land boy." Shelby replied, "the only way for you to see him again is to go on land." With that, Rita swam off, back to the lagoon to see how she could get legs.

~Later~

Rita found all of the information she needed engraved on a shell (they're similar to text books) about getting legs. It was scandalous, but if Shelby could have legs and get away with it, so could she.

"Rita there you are! I've been looking everywhere for you! You didn't even finish your milkshake!" Shelby said.

"Shelby, I have a moon ring." Rita began.

"Yeah..." Shelby already knew where this was going.

"And tonight's a full moon..."

"You wouldn't!"

"I'm getting legs tonight, and you're going to help me." Rita proudly declared.

Well? What do you guys think? Leave a review if you like! They are very appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

Hello readers! Here's another chapter of this story! I hope you enjoy it! :D

"Legs?" Shelby asked, "you could get banished."

"That's what you told me, remember?" Rita asked, "I'll be fine. If you can have legs, so can I. I need to see that land boy again! I just felt this amazing connection!"

"Fine... I'll teach you to walk so you can see that stupid land boy..." Shelby mumbled under her breath.

"Thanks!" Rita half smiled at Shelby's annoyed look, "does Aquata know that you have legs?"

"No, I'm not sure if I should tell her or not." Shelby sighed, watching her daughter play in the shallows with other younger mermaids, "I'm pretty lucky to have her. At first I hated myself for wanting a child at such a young age, but she's too amazing to give up. Do you think you'll ever have kids?"

"What? Not me. I'm not the motherly type. But I must say that you're handling this whole thing quite well." Rita replied. Then, Aquata swam over to the girls.

"Mommy! Look at this pretty shell I found!"

"That's beautiful, sweetheart! How about you go put it with the others?" Shelby suggested to her daughter.

"Okay." Aquata tossed the shell into a rather large pile of other ones.

"You can see where she gets her love for shell collecting." Rita took notice of the big pile of shells. Then, Leah made an announcement.

"Everyone! It's a full moon tonight, and I have the girls picked for guarding the moon pool: Rita and Shelby."

"Thank you so much!" Shelby smiled to Leah.

"If you'd like, I can watch Aquata for you." Leah offered. Shelby accepted, and the two made their way to Mako.

"Ok, by the looks of it, the moon will be rising in a few minutes, are you sure you're ready?" Shelby questioned Rita.

"I'm sure! I'm not sure on what it is, but I feel like I need to see that land boy again...I felt a connection." Rita explained, fiddling with her moon ring.

"If you say so." Shelby sighed. The full moon was starting to rise over the dome of the volcano, and Rita went through the steps in her mind to make sure that she wouldn't be doing anything wrong. As the moon's path stretched across the volcano, the water became warm and bubbly as usual. Rita took in a deep breath before she raised her moon ring above her head, focusing and letting all of the moonlight absorb into it. Shelby flashed a smile to Rita as a sign of excitement. Rita returned the favor, and went back to focousing on getting the right amount of moonlight into the ring. The flickering strands of moonlight became evanescent as the moon passed over the edge of the dome.

~The next morning~

"Alright, do you have the shell?" Shelby asked.

"Yes. And for the hundredth time, I'm sure about this." Rita dragged herself onto the warm sand, feeling the griddy texture against her tail. Shelby dried herself off, and walked in front of Rita to place the shell with her moon ring in front of her. Rita all of the sudden had a worried look on her face.

"...what if I get octopus legs?"

"What?" Shelby burst out in laughter, breaking the morning silence, "no, just focus on human legs." Rita nodded, biting her lip. She held out her hand, and carefully focused on the ring, and thought of legs like Shelby instructed. The ring started glowing, and it got brighter and brighter until Rita found herself engulfed in a bright light. She felt incredibly taller, and realized she was standing! In legs!

"Ugh! I'm all exposed!" Rita tried covering herself, but lost her balance and toppled into the sand.

"Here." Shelby tossed Rita a baby blue dress and some shoes, "I put these here yesterday so you would be prepared."

"Um, thanks. How do I put these on?" Rita questioned the foreign piece of fabric Shelby gave her.

~Later~

"Try again, this time, straighten your posture." Shelby guided Rita to the sidewalk whilst teaching her to walk.

"This is so hard! And why did you have me wear high heeled shoes?" Rita stumbled momentarily before regaining her balance.

"Sorry, they were the only other pair I had." Shelby apologized.

"People have different types of shoes? What has the world come to?" Rita asked, a hint of annoyance in her question.

"Well, lots of land girls wear them, So it'll make you blend in." Shelby smiled, "speaking of blending in, you're getting better at walking. Do you want to try without me helping?"

"It wouldn't hurt." Rita attempted walking, and was surprisingly able to carry herself a few meters before losing balance, "I did it! Yes!"

"Seeing as this is your first time on land, how do you feel?" Shelby asked.

"I think I'm going to like it here!" Rita smiled.

That's the end of this chapter! If you have suggestions, let me know!

~Periwinkle Starfish


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